A Rose for Emily Mass Studyguide – Flashcards

Author

main character

foreman from the North. described as "Large, dark". admired for humor. falls in love with main character, seen as scandalous because not same class

mayor of jefferson in flashback. orders lime sprinkled to kill smell of house

main character's father. controlling and looming even in death. thwart's main character's efforts to find a husband so he can control her

main character's servant. voice rusty from lack of use. after main character dies, he walks out back door and is never seen again

former mayor of jefferson. represents old style/world. absolves main character from taxes

main character's great-aunt. goes crazy before dying

______, relatives of main character, both female, from alabama "more (main character's last name) than (main character)"

not main character, tells story

Author

Main character - * SHe is an eccentric recluse - * she lived alone after her fathers death - * Homer Barron becomes the "object of her affections" - only for her to posion him so as to "keep him" all for herself

* Foreman from the North. * Described as "Large Man w/ a Dark Complextion". * Admired for his humor. * He falls in love with main character. * Towns people see this as scandalous because he is not from the "SAME CLASS" as Emily

* Mayor of Jefferson. * Tries to handle the situation of the "smell" coming from Emily's house. * He and the Alderman sprinkle lime to kill smell coming from Emily's house

* Emily's father. * Controlling and looming he has a lasting effect on Emily even after his death. * He thwarts Emily's attempts to find a husbnad in order to keep her under his control.

* Main character's servant. * Voice rusty from lack of use. * Emilys only connection to theoutside world * After main character dies, he walks out back door and is never seen again

* Former mayor of Jefferson. * represents old style/world. a * Absolves main character from tax debt after the death of her father

* Main character's great-aunt. g * Goes crazy before dying

Not the main character, tells story

relies on supernatural and odd personalities and unusual events to guide the plot but uses them to explore social issues in southern america. "A rose for emily" is an example..

The story is broken up into 5 sections. During the first 2 sections they explain how Emily is very wealthy and is recently dealing with the death of her father. After his death the city has problems trying to get her to pay taxes and they also have an issue with a strong odor coming from her home, however she would never let anyone inside of it. In the 3rd and 4th sections Emily meets a construction worker named Homer Barron and purchases arsenic which compromises her reputation. The town becomes worried she is delusional and ask her 2 cousins to visit her. After their departure Barron is seem going into her home however he never came back outside. In the final section they describe how nobody went into the house until her death at 74 and it was then they broke down a door to a room upstairs to found a suit and Barons decaying body, as well as a long strand of Emily's grey hair on the pillow next to him.

...

Emily- a mysterious figure who changes from a vibrant and hopeful young girl to a cloistered and secretive old woman. Devastated and alone after her father's death, she is an object of pity for the townspeople. Homer Barron-He develops an interest in Emily and despite his attributes, the townspeople view him as a poor, if not scandalous, choice for a mate. He disappears in Emily's house and decomposes in an attic bedroom after she kills him. Mr. Grierson - Emily's father. Mr. Grierson is a controlling, looming presence even in death, and the community clearly sees his lasting influence over Emily. He deliberately thwarts Emily's attempts to find a husband in order to keep her under his control

The story takes place in Jefferson, Mississippi.

Emily's house, like Emily herself, is a monument, the only remaining emblem of a dying world of Southern aristocracy. It also represents alienation, mental illness, and death. It is a shrine to the living past, and the sealed upstairs bedroom is her macabre trophy room where she preserves the man she would not allow to leave her. The strand of hair is a reminder of love lost and the often perverse things people do in their pursuit of happiness. The strand of hair also reveals the inner life of a woman who, despite her eccentricities, was committed to living life on her own terms and not submitting her behavior, no matter how shocking, to the approval of others.

Emily attempts to exert power over death by denying the fact of death itself. Her bizarre relationship to the dead bodies of the men she has loved—her necrophilia—is revealed first when her father dies. Unable to admit that he has died, Emily clings to the controlling paternal figure whose denial and control became the only—yet extreme—form of love she knew. She gives up his body only reluctantly. When Homer dies, Emily refuses to acknowledge it once again—although this time, she herself was responsible for bringing about the death. In killing Homer, she was able to keep him near her. However, Homer's lifelessness rendered him permanently distant. Emily and Homer's grotesque marriage reveals Emily's disturbing attempt to fuse life and death. However, death ultimately triumphs.

mysterious, secretive, pitied, judged by townspeople

lower class, well liked, good sense of humor, judged by town

mayor, respects Emily, sprinkles lime on her property

father, controls, prevents Emily from finding a husband, influences Emily even after his death

servant for Emily, Emily's lifeline to outside world

-Emily gives into death -tries to avoid death -obsessed with dead bodies

-cut off from outside world, social outcast, others talk and gossip about her

-community changes, Emily doesn't